Cobb assistant district attorney named chief magistrate judge

A Cobb County senior assistant district attorney has been appointed to serve as the next chief magistrate judge.

Brendan Murphy was selected by the 10 Cobb Superior Court judges to succeed Joyette Holmes, who was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp as the county’s new district attorney. She replaced Vic Reynolds, who is now director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Murphy, who has worked with the District Attorney’s Office since November 2013, said he’s thankful that the judges “put their faith and trust in me to become Cobb County’s next chief magistrate.”

“I’m excited to hit the ground running,” he said, adding he’s already met with the team of Magistrate Court employees.

Murphy, who will be sworn in next week, will oversee a team of about 70 staff members and a $4.3 million annual budget. The Magistrate Court office has three full-time judges and 15 part-time magistrate positions. The court issues arrest warrants for law enforcement and manages small claims, abandoned vehicles, wage garnishments and bad checks, according to its website.

Superior Court Chief Judge Reuben M. Green said Murphy has “well-rounded legal and managerial experience” and the right temperament to serve as chief magistrate judge.

“In the last three years that he has been the senior assistant district attorney assigned to my courtroom, I have seen a man of character and integrity, a person who is patient, listens well and treats everyone with respect,” he said.

Murphy said he won’t change much in the Magistrate Court since Holmes built a “great team and great court.” He did note he will ensure the court, which is often referred to as the People’s Court, will serve Cobb County with courtesy, dignity and respect.

Murphy will serve out the remainder of Holmes’ term, which expires in December 2020. However, he said he will seek his first, four-year term as chief magistrate judge in the May 2020 nonpartisan election. If he wins that election, he will begin his first term in January 2021.

Before his tenure with the DA’s office, Murphy served as a prosecutor the Cobb County Solicitor’s General Office and spent several years in private practice. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and the University of Georgia School of Law. He and his wife, Sarah, have two children and attend Catholic Church of St. Ann in East Cobb. Murphy also sits on the Board of Trustees for the Cobb County Bar Association.